Falling Short of Cloud Nine
by Dealing With It Now
Summary: When Sora gets badly hurt, Riku is left to wonder if he will have to face the world without his best friends... with Kairi already gone... will he be able to stand it if he loses Sora? rikuxsora one sided soraxkairi two sided AU I suck at summaries...
1. Chapter 1

_**Falling Short of Cloud Nine**_

**Warning! RikuxSora pairing! (unrequited) SoraxKairi pairing (requited)  
I don't own anything from Kingdom Hearts!**

**Summary:** A sappy soriku. Get used to it! Okay, so Sora gets into an accident and Riku… well, you can guess… Lots of sap and lots of italics with the stupid flashbacks… Don't get mad at me if you don't like the sappiness, or the soriku. (Psst, it isn't a songfic anymore!) (Here, I'll bribe you with a cookie! gives cookie All right, now read!)

**Sora:** Why is it always me who ends up getting hurt? scratches head, confused

**Me: **'Cuz you're my favorite!

**Riku: **Hey!

**Me: **whispers Hey, don't complain! You don't die!

**Sora: **overhears I die? Again? And, if I'm your favorite, why do _I _die?

**Me: **shrugsIdunno… Kairi's dead too…

**Riku: **Is this like _Survivor _or something? If it is, I want my money!

**Me: **Oh shut up and let the patient people read. Sorry 'bout that folks. slaps Sora and Riku

**Sora and Riku: **Oww!

**(how to start this thing…) Takes place in some random town/city (like Brockton or Boston…) **

Riku had just gotten out of the shower when the telephone rang from the other room. He had his pants half pulled up, so he had some problems getting downstairs. As he ran down, he had been trying to zip and button his jeans and had stumbled about halfway to the bottom. He yelped in surprise and went tumbling down the flight of stairs.

"Ow…" He groaned, getting up from the bottom of the stairway. "Note to self: No more trying to put on pants and run down the stairs at the same time..."

The telephone had stopped ringing, but no message had been left. He quickly checked the missed call screen. It read: **Sora:** Home. He smiled. Of course it was Sora. Who else ever called? Ever since… He stopped himself. No need to bring up the past. Regardless, just barely thinking about it had brought up some of the old pain, from almost a year ago…

_There was a knock at the front door. _

_"That must be Kairi." Sora said, slightly redundantly._

_"Really?" Riku teased. "Better go let her in. She's missed most of card night…" _

_Sora put down his hand and went to go open the door. What he didn't expect was Kairi's mother, disheveled and sobbing. _

_"Mrs. Soule _(not her last real name, but who knows their last names?)_, what happened?" He asked. Riku got up and joined him at the door. _

_Between her sobs, Mrs. Soule was able to explain to them, " Kairi…was coming over here, I guess like she always does… and on the way…there was a shooting… and she was caught in the crossfire…" _

_Neither Sora nor Riku could believe what the woman was telling them. Especially Sora._

_"This is a joke, right?" he asked, completely in denial. "Just some messed up trick Kairi set up, isn't it?"_

_"Sora…" Riku tried to calm him down a bit. Placing a hand on the younger boy's shoulder, he told him, "Just let Mrs. Soule explain…"_

_Sora shrugged the hand from his shoulder and ran ,weeping, up the stairs to his bedroom without another word. They heard a loud bang as he slammed his door, refusing to listen to anything more about the situation. _

_Riku turned to Kairi's mother. "Where is Kairi now?" he asked. _

_The woman shook her head. "She was shot right in the head. It was instantaneous… At least she didn't feel any pain…"_

_Riku bit his lip, trying to hide his own tears. He nodded slowly and finally said, "Okay. I'll try to calm Sora down. Thanks for telling us…" _

_Mrs. Soule quietly answered, but Riku wasn't listening. The woman turned away to walk back to her house, a few blocks down. Riku closed the door behind her and proceeded directly upstairs to his friend's bedroom._

_Riku placed an ear up to Sora's door. He heard uncontrollable sobs from the other side. _

_"Sora?" he tried to ask. "Sora, can you hear me?" _

_The crying quieted down a little as Sora grumbled, "I don't want to talk to anyone…Just leave me alone, Riku…" The sobs intensified again._

_"Hey, I was her friend too. And what about her mom? You don't have any right being mad at me, or anyone…" Riku told him, not really sure if that was exactly the _best _thing to say… _

_"Sure, you were her friend. But were you her _boyfriend_? I loved her, Riku…"_

_Riku hadn't thought of that. The way Sora and Kairi acted, you really couldn't tell they were dating. He had actually forgotten…_

_"Okay. You've got a point…But it still doesn't give you the right to just shut us all out…Let me help…"_

_"Can you bring her back? NO. You can't help…" Sora's sobs had died down a bit due to his rising anger. _

_" No, I can't bring her back. Nobody can. But… we both miss her. A lot… Let's try to make each other feel better…"_

_Sora didn't answer. But after a few minutes of awkward quiet, the door swung open and Riku was given silent permission to enter. Sora swung around from behind the door and sat down again on his unmade bed, his back to Riku. _

_"Riku?" he asked softly. "Are you mad at me?"_

_It was an odd question. "No, why would I be?" _

_The younger boy shrugged. "I dunno… I just…" _

_Riku sat down on the bed, keeping his own back to the other boy. He wouldn't make Sora face him until he was ready. "I could never really be mad at you. Especially now. How could I be angry at you?" _

_"I know a few people who would be… If I shut them out like this…" _

_"Like who?"_

_"My mom. She would keep asking me questions until I finally told her everything. I hate that…"_

_"I do too. That's why I won't do that to you…" _

_Suddenly, Sora turned around and hugged the older boy. He sobbed into his shoulder, completely throwing Riku off. _

_"Wha…" Riku stammered. Sora just continued to cry, hugging him even closer. Riku decided to return the embrace; this was kind of a first for him…_

_"Riku…You won't go anywhere, right? Without Kairi and you… I don't know what I'd do… Kairi's gone…Kairi's gone…" he sobbed quietly._

_Riku held onto the smaller boy, letting him cry. It was then when he realized just how much they really needed each other…_

Riku pulled himself from the flashback, remembering he still had to call Sora back. He dialed the number and heard it ring. After three rings, somebody picked up.

"Hello?" It wasn't Sora. It was Mrs. Hart, his mom. She sounded a little shaky and there were other, indistinct voices coming from the background.

"Hi, it's Riku. Did Sora just call me?"

"No, dear. That was me. Listen, I…"

"Oh. Can I talk to him then?"

Static was sent rushing across as Mrs. Hart sighed into the other end. "I'm afraid not…" One of the voices from the background became clearer. It was a very deep male's voice; one Riku had never heard before. "Excuse me, is your son the one who is in room 113 right now?"

Mrs. Hart quickly told him yes and said over the phone, "Riku, we're at the hospital. Get over here as fast as you can. On your bike, or something… We'll tell you everything when you get here…"

Suddenly, Riku's mother, Mrs. Shader, overwhelmed Mrs. Hart's voice over the phone. "Riku? Sorry, I'm not home… Something's… uh, popped up, you see…" she laughed nervously. Clearing her throat, she quickly advised him, "Do as Mrs. Hart says and get over here as soon as possible. You may get your bike from the backyard, just be careful. It's raining out now and we don't need two casu…" Mrs. Hart cut her off. "Riku, we've got to go… We'll fill you in and when you get here…" And she hung up.

Riku dropped the phone, forgetting to turn it off. The buzzer began to go off on it, but he ignored it. His stomach dropped like a boulder… Something happened… It reminded him too much of Kairi's death… He pulled himself from the memories before another flashback could occur. He was too late… As he ran out the back door to grab his bike, pictures haunted his mind, due to yet another flashback…

_Sora and Riku had stayed after school to help clean up the mess in the science room. They had done dissection that day, and they were eagerly waiting for day two of the class. _

_"You know," Sora recollected, leaning on the mop he was using. "Kairi would've hated this class…" The misty glaze of loneliness clouded his eyes, as it did whenever he thought of his sorely missed love interest. _

_Riku didn't like to talk about Kairi. He didn't like the effect it had on Sora. The younger boy would always end up closing himself away from the world when he thought too much of the girl. Riku had tried several times to get him to go to counseling, but he always aggressively refused. He always insisted he was absolutely fine._

_"You're probably right… She would've been standing up for frog's rights, or something…"_

_Sora laughed weakly at his friend's slight attempt at a joke. He stopped and suddenly asked, "Riku, how can you be so… laid back about Kairi? Every time I think about her, I…" The boy quickly turned away, ashamed at the fact he had opened up a bit too far._

_Riku cocked his head. "I'm not laid back about her. I miss her, just like you do. I just…can control my feelings a little better than you can, I guess." He really didn't know how to explain how he felt. No matter how collected he may have seemed on the outside, his emotions were in turmoil, ravaging his mind. He knew he had to help Sora through this, but he sometimes just wanted to join him when he cried. But, then he saw this as a perfect opportunity to get real help._

_"Sora" he asked when the boy had returned to mopping the floor. "Would you please consider going to see the counselor? I think it would help to talk to someone…I would go with you, too…"_

_"Riku, I've told you a thousand times…"_

_"I know, but just listen. You want to be able to hide your feelings? Just go talk to her. Like I said, I'll go with you. We can both get this off her chests…"_

_Sora just stared at him hopelessly. He didn't respond, instead simply shaking his head and returning to the cleaning. _

_"Please, I'm just asking you as a friend. I won't make you go, but I _know_ it will help…"_

_Sora sighed. "Okay. I'll go, but just because I don't want you to start _begging_, for heaven's sake." He laughed. "You sure you won't end up crying? I know I probably will."_

_"Me? Cry?" Riku shrugged. "Maybe."_

_They both laughed. "I'll bring my camera." Sora told him, elbowing him warm-heartedly. _

_Riku's laugh died away. Sora put the mop away and said, "Well, I'm done. You?"_

_The older boy seemed distracted. "Yeah. Just finished." Sora nodded and left the room, waiting outside for him to put away his equipment. _

_Riku bit his lip, thinking about the counseling. What if he did end up breaking down in front of Sora? He knew it was a possibility. A good one, too. He knew he really shouldn't worry about it; Sora was going to end up crying too. But, Riku _never_ cried. Even at his father's funeral, he hadn't. But, Kairi was different. She had been part of his and Sora's lives forever, it seemed. He knew Sora was waiting for him. He shrugged away the issue. He'd just have to wait and see._

The rain poured down unmercifully as Riku furiously pedaled towards the hospital. He had already cut off three cars and nearly caused two accidents. He really didn't care to say the least.

After almost hitting his fourth car, he decided to calm down a little. It wouldn't do any good to have him get killed on the way…

He didn't know what was going on, but whatever it was, it wasn't good. Something had happened to Sora, by the sound of it. His mother had almost said 'casualties'; he knew that for sure. Mrs. Hart had stopped her, not wanting him to panic on the spot. He didn't know what he'd do when he got there. What would he see? He was afraid to think about it…

He remembered the last time he had been at the hospital. It had been when his father had been sick. He had been seven years old then. He remembered feeling absolutely powerless, unable to help in anyway. Everyone there would always push him out of the way, forcing him into a little corner of the room. One time, he bitterly recalled, he asked a nurse 'What was going on with his Daddy…' The nurse had simply shook her head and asked him to leave the room. He hated the hospital… Would he fell helpless again? Forced to just watch his only true friend die? He didn't know if he would be able to stand it…

The large white building finally came into view; it's flat roof jutting bluntly into the dark sky. He quickly checked his watch. It had been about 15 minutes since he had left his house. Could something happen in that time? What would he find out when he got there? Did he even want to know? Should he just turn back and have his mom tell what happened later? Would he be shoved aside, told to 'wait patiently while the adults sorted everything out'? His indecision was overwhelming. He just sped forward, as Mrs. Hart had advised.

Pulling up to the hospital, he found there was no bicycle rack. 'Of course not…' he thought with disdain. He leaned his bike against the wall of the building, not really caring what would happen to it. As he left it to enter the building, an old janitor shuffled up to it and yelled to him, "Hey, boy! You can't just leave this here!"

Riku scowled. "Hey, you can just take it and do what you want with it! I really don't have time for this!"

"Listen here, you little hooligan! I don't…"

"Excuse me?" A deep voice interrupted their quarrel.

Riku recognized this as the voice that had talked to Mrs. Hart over the phone. He turned to see a dark man, dressed in doctor's attire, looking at them both coldly.

"I believe the boy is friends with a patient of mine. It is imperative that he comes with me immediately…" the man told the janitor firmly. Riku didn't like the sound of that…

The janitor scoffed. "Fine, but don't have him complain to me if something happens to the stupid thing…" He glared at Riku and hobbled off.

He looked up at the very tall man in front of him. The man smiled slightly at him. "Please excuse Cregor. He can be a bit… troublesome…" The doctor cleared his throat. "I'm Doctor Adam** (random name!)**, and I didn't say that just to make Cregor leave. You really need to come with me. Now."

Riku looked down. He quietly asked the man as he turned away, "Do I really want to know what's going on in there? Sora wouldn't be the first friend I've lost and if…"

**My friends hated me for stopping there... Oh well...  
**

**Reviews will be VERY MUCH appreciated!**


	2. Update

**Okay, I gottwo reviews so far, and I guess I'll continue…  
Sorry it's short...**

**Last time: **

**Riku looked down. He quietly asked the man as he turned away, "Do I really want to know what's going on in there? Sora wouldn't be the first friend I've lost and if…"**

**Also, sorry about a BAD typo in the first one, if anyone noticed it… of course, you may not be as sick minded as me, but… **

Adam turned around again. Riku had stopped, unable to continue with the sentence. The boy's head was down; he didn't want his diamonds of sorrow to show… Crying really wasn't his thing…

Adam bent down and quietly told him, "I'm sorry, but you may not like what you'll find in there… I don't know how close you and the other boy are, but…"

Riku interrupted him, "Sora and I were- _are_ best friends." He looked up. Adam had to stop himself from jumping back slightly. Riku's aquamarine eyes gleamed with a strange, defiant resolve. "Sora is _not going to die!_" he grumbled. He pushed past the doctor, leaving him completely dumbfounded. He made his way into the hospital, not bothering to see if the doctor was following.

Adam stared after the boy for a moment. He had seemed so… delicate a few moments before. Now he was a storming adolescent, charged with, who knows what? Anger? Adrenaline? It was so strange…

But then he remembered his role as the actual doctor in this situation and followed after Riku into the hospital.

Riku walked into the waiting room, his unidentifiable aura startling everyone one in the large room as he entered. He approached the help desk and demanded lowly, "Sora Hart?"

The nurse (who sincerely looked like she was going to wet her nice white skirt) quietly answered, her voice meek and timid, "Room 113, in the ICU. There's a small waiting room there too… You don't _have _to stay here…"

He nodded silently and proceeded to the elevator. Rooms 1-99 were on the first floor, 100-199 were on the second, and so on. He didn't feel like walking up the stairway; it would just impede his progress towards his friend.

As the elevator doors shut, a dark hand quickly reached through and pushed them open again. He found a panting Dr. Adam, a look of wild confusion in his gray eyes.

"Could you let a guy catch up?" he huffed as the doors dinged shut.

"Mmm." Riku grunted, not in the mood for talking.

It was the longest and most awkward elevator ride Riku had ever experienced (and that was saying something because it was only, like, his third…). The air seemed heavy with grim anticipation and the doctor was just as uncomfortable as the guest.

"Nice weather we've had lately…" Adam said lamely. Riku remembered the torrential storm that was raging outside and rolled his eyes.

The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival. Riku's stomach suddenly tied in a knot. His qualms were unbearable… Maybe he should've went home…

Adam got out first. Riku hesitantly followed, and was led by the doctor to the smaller waiting room outside Sora's room.

Riku stopped dead in front of the door. He heard sobs, most likely Sora's mother, finally broken down… He was greeted horribly by another (inconvenient) flashback…

**Which you will find out about next time I update! Bye! **

**ducks under a rock before friends start to throw stuff**

**Sora: **Why can't you just tell us what happened to me?

**Me: **'Cause that's no fun!

**Riku: **It would make it more fun for us. You know, knowing what is going on…

**Me: **I can tell you Sora isn't feeling too well.

**Sora: **I'm feeling just fine, thank you!

**Me: **Shhh! Don't tell _them _that! whacks him again **( I'm so abusive to them… ) **


	3. Music?

**Falling Short of Cloud Nine (cont'd, yet again...) **

**Last time: Riku stopped dead in front of the door. He heard sobs, most likely Sora's mother, finally broken down… He was greeted horribly by another (inconvenient) flashback…**

**This will probably be weird...**

* * *

_Riku waited outside the school while Sora got his things together inside. He came out hefting a guitar case, a collapsible stand and at least two folders of sheet music._

_"Whoa, got enough stuff there?" Riku almost laughed. _

_"Yeah. Plenty." Sora grunted from beneath the bundle. He carefully placed the guitar on the ground to try to organize the disorderly music that stood out from the folder at all sorts of odd angles. _

_"The counselor was right… You sure did find something to get yourself busy. You hardly have time for me anymore!" Riku mocked._

_"Well, we don't want you feeling neglected, now do we?" Sora teased back._

_Riku put on his best innocent face, but couldn't quite pull it off. Sora bursted out laughing. _

_"You know, you look like you have to go to the bathroom _really _bad when you do that look! Every time you do it!"_

_The look disappeared, but Riku laughed with him. "Maybe I should try it in the mirror or something…" he mused._

_"That might work…" Sora elbowed him. He bent down to pick up his things so they could start walking home. _

_"Hey, you need help?" Riku asked him as he struggled for balance. He nodded gratefully and handed him the folders of music. "So how many instruments does that make now?"_

_Sora mentally counted his fingers. "Four, I think. First piano, then bass guitar, violin, now 6-string guitar. You know, it really does help. Learning how to play all these... It gives me something to do other than just…remember. And it's a great way to get out feelings." He choked back a laugh, trying his best to keep a staid face. "Hey, Riku, you should join the band!"_

_Riku snorted indignantly. "What? What kind of geek do you think I am?" But then he smiled at his friend. "I couldn't. Trying to remember all of those, it would kill me."_

_"Aw. It's not that hard. The notes are always the same, unless you're reading a bass score…then you gotta read down two steps…" _

_"See! I can't remember all of that! I'm getting a headache just thinking about it."_

_"I don't believe it. You can do everything better than me. Now, you're just admitting defeat without trying? What did you do with the real Riku!" Sora laughed._

_Riku laughed with him, but the truth was that Sora really had found something he was better at. And Riku didn't want to actually end up being capable of playing music and taking that one thing away from him. "You're better at Algebra…" Riku tried._

_Sora almost laughed. "You're just trying to make me look like a complete geek, aren't you? Band, algebra, what's next, chess club?"_

_"Don't tell me you're gonna join that too!"_

_"No!"_

_"Good." Riku sighed in mock relief. "I'd have to avoid you in public if you did that…" _

_Sora had a huge urge to punch him, but his arms were too full. "Thanks a lot, Riku…"_

_"Hey, it was a joke! I wouldn't do that! What happens if I need help on homework or something? You _can't_ tell me to ask Tidus…"_

_Riku had gone too far with the joke. Sora dropped the things he was carrying and stared, offended, at the other's back. He sat down on the edge of the sidewalk, forgetting his belongings that were strewn along the ground around him._

_Riku heard the clatter behind him and noticed that Sora had fallen out of stride with him. He turned to see the other boy sitting with his chin resting on one of his hands moodily. The guitar, stand, and some of the music were all over the ground, disregarded. "Hey, what's wrong? I was only joking…" he asked, startled._

_Sora didn't answer, instead preferring to stare in the opposite direction. Even as Riku bent down to try to collect some of the items, he ignored him._

_"Oh come on, I didn't mean it! You're not a geek at all. I can't believe you would actually let a label get to you…" _

_Sora turned and stared at him, his eyes sparkling with the prospect of new tears. "Riku… it's not even about that… What you said… I know _you're _just kidding, but other kids aren't…" He sighed. " You know those two big ones? Ansem and Sephiroth? _**(I knew I'd bring them in eventually…)**_" Sora paused to make sure Riku knew what he was talking about._

_Riku did. Those two were trouble. Rumor had it they had pulled two smaller boys off and shot them because they were bored. They weren't the type that you got in the way of… "Yeah, I know 'em…" he muttered. _

_"Well, they found out about Kairi…and how we were going out…They call me the Widowed Nerd…They've threatened me, just like they do everyone else, but I'm actually scared…They tell me it won't be long until I join my 'slut of a girlfriend' in hell…" Sora sobbed._

_Riku's blood ran cold. How could anyone say anything like that, especially to a grieving fifteen year old? "When was the last time they told you anything."_

_"Today. After lunch…" Sora gasped. "But I'm not supposed to tell anyone that! C-crud! If they found out that I told you _any _of this… oh my god…" he stammered._

_Riku just stared, completely aghast. How could Sora have hidden something so… disturbing? You could never tell anything about Sora's real feelings, unless you listened to his music. _Everything_ was in the music. Problem was, how do you translate music into actual words? _

_Riku's gaze averted itself to the guitar case. An idea formed in his mind. He reached out to the case and pulled it between them. _

_"What?" Sora asked simply, trying to wipe his eyes with his sleeve. _

_"I want you to play something." Riku told him plainly. He smiled as Sora went bright red._

_"Here? Like, now? On the sidewalk?"_

_"Yep." He undid the fasteners on the case and gently flipped it open, revealing Sora's acoustic guitar. (Mrs. Hart full-heartedly supported her son's musical interest, and Mr. Hart had a nice credit card…) _

_"But, you know, I just started a month or so ago… I'm not that great…" Sora was trying to find any way out of playing._

_"Doesn't matter. Maybe I'll learn something by watching you. It should help get your mind off things, too, don't you think?" _

_Sora gulped and nodded. He knew what Riku was trying to do. Anyone who had heard him play before knew that he (unconsciously) put all of his emotions into the music he wrote, but when he played it, they were hard to identify. Riku wanted to try to figure out exactly what was going through his troubled head. _

_He took the guitar out and placed the strap loosely around his neck, then positioned his fingers on the fret board. He looked to Riku, his gaze blatantly asking 'Are you _really _sure about this?'_

_Riku nodded and Sora sighed, finally recognizing that he was going to have to play. He turned around to pull out one of the sheets of music, but Riku's hand stopped him._

_"Just make it up as you go." He whispered, causing Sora to become even more nervous about playing. Make it up! What was Riku thinking? _

_Sora strummed a chord as a warm-up, and Riku was surprised immediately by the sound produced. Sora did say he had just started, right? Just listening to the perfection of that one chord sent shivers running down Riku's spine._

_Sora didn't notice Riku's surprise; he was already settling into his secret world of notes and music that he found true comfort in. _

_Riku was amazed, and that's even an understatement. Sora's song started with a simple, melancholy melody; the best he could do with only one instrument. The melody pulled at Riku's heart; he couldn't believe what one boy could do with a simple guitar…_

_The tune quickly became slightly distressed and fast; many quick and sharp chords and strums. The sound was almost like a tortured scream attacking the steel strings of the instrument. Sora didn't seem to notice. _

_Riku almost considered asking him to stop, but the music, while grating, was beautiful. Sora had a real knack for it…_

_Eventually, the melody calmed down and Sora let the song end. He let the guitar relax on his shoulder. He scoffed lightly._

_"Wish I had written that one down…" he said quietly. _

_"Can't you write it down later?" Riku asked as Sora began to put the guitar away._

_Sora shook his head. "I don't know what I just played, but it was good." He seemed really distant to Riku. "We should be getting home…" _

_Riku nodded. He picked up some of the music that was still strewn across the ground. He put the sheets into the folder and they continued home in silence. When it was time for them to part ways, Riku handed him the folder, saying, "See you in school tomorrow?"_

_Sora averted his gaze. "Sure…" _

_They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways…_

* * *

**That had been two days ago. That was the last time Riku had talked to Sora in two days…****

* * *

**

Alright. I'm done for now. I'll try to update sometime soon. And comments would be great, I don't want to have to end it there because it falls to the bottom of my priority list!


	4. Discovery

**Falling Short of Cloud Nine Part IV**

**Last time: That had been two days ago. That was the last time Riku had talked to Sora in two days…**

**Oooh! What happened? I dunno, I'm just the author… **

**Okay! In this chapter, you learn what happened to poor Sora!**

**S14: I guess I'm slightly mean to poor little Sora when I write, eh?**

**Sora: oh, I really didn't notice!**

**Riku:** **And now you're gonna be mean to me too!**

**S14: I dunno if I'm gonna be mean to you, just yet, Riku. I've got another idea for you. But that's a different story that is still in the works.**

**Riku: Can't wait…**

Riku was jarred back to reality by Adam's gravelly voice. "Hey, kid, you alright?"

Riku shook himself out of it, keeping his revealing memories to himself. He needed to see Sora before he made any assumptions.

"You open the door when you're ready…" Adam told him carefully.

Riku took a deep breath and opened the door…

(**And if I was really cruel, I'd end it there, but I won't…**)

There was a small lobby, which seemed a lot smaller with all of the people in there. There were at least four or five nurses, all bustling around trying to get _something _done. Mrs. Hart was in a chair at the corner of the room, sobbing into her sister's shoulder. Sora's cousin, Namine, stood by her own mother, staring blankly into the distance. Riku recalled that Sora and Namine were pretty close, like sister and brother. He walked up to the blonde girl and tried to talk to her a little.

"Hey, Namine." He said quietly, trying to catch her eye.

She barely seemed to notice him. She nodded, almost imperceptibly, and continued to keep to herself.

Riku bit his lip. "So, uh, have you seen Sora yet?"

She caught his eye and held his gaze for a moment. She had eyes just like Sora's. That sky blue that seemed endless… She sighed, coming out of her shell just a little. "Yeah, I saw him… But it wasn't _him_… He's not in that room, Riku…." She said slowly. Her gaze fell again and she remained silent.

Riku didn't know what she meant by this, but he was sure he wouldn't like it when he found out… Something really terrible must have happened to shake her like that… He didn't want to think about what he would do when he saw…

Adam tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "You may want to leave her alone." He whispered into his ear. "She nearly passed out when she saw…" He cleared his throat. "Well, um, just let her alone, alright?" He pushed Riku along, leaving Namine to herself.

Riku stopped to see Mr. Hart smoking like a chimney, his face lined in worry and thought. Nobody seemed to notice the intoxicating smoke emitted by the cigarette, too busy doing other things. Adam, however, had to ask him to put it out. They were in a hospital; duh….

Mr. Hart tapped Riku on the arm. "Hey, have you seen those two, uh, what's their names…" He tried to remember. "Two big kids… Ansem and Sephiroth I think they were…"

Riku remembered his last conversation with his friend. "What about them?" he asked gruffly.

Mr. Hart shook his head. "They're the ones who did this to him…we saw them… But they ran off. I didn't know if you had run into them lately. The police are out after them… but they'll probably get away, eh? I hear they do this kind of thing pretty often…"

Riku didn't like to hear this. "What did they do to Sora? Why did you let them get away?" he asked, the words coming out much more quickly than intended.

"They hurt him… And it was either running after them, or helping Sora… He wouldn't…" Sora's father seemed unable to continue.

Adam suddenly put a hand on Riku's shoulder. "You have a real knack for asking uncomfortable questions, you know that? We'll tell you everything after you see your friend, alright?"

Riku nodded slightly, but he asked, "Is Sora… okay? Like, he is he alive or awake or is.. Is he going to die?"

Adam sighed. "You need to understand…" he tried to start, but then thought a technical approach would not be the right way to go with this. "Your friend, he, um… Well, those two older boys, the ones Mr. Hart just mentioned, they were mocking him, supposedly, but then the teasing turn into a… beating."

Riku wasn't sure if he completely comprehended what the doctor had just said. He had to let it sink in for a moment. But, when he did understand, he really wished he didn't. "And Sora didn't try to fight back, or anything?" he asked, hoping to find some light in this dark situation.

Adam shrugged. "We don't know if he ever did try to get away. When Mr. Hart and Sora's uncle found them, Sora was unconscious, but the two were still thrashing him. Mr. Hart said they had a wooden bat and a gun, but they never shot the boy."

"Why was Mr. Hart looking for him? Did he run away or something?"

"He wasn't home before sunset… and you know what the streets are like after dark. They went to see if he had stayed after school or something… and they ran into…them…" Adam tried to explain.

Riku suddenly blurted everything out in frustration: "Oh,iknewaboutansemandsephirothandistilldidntdoanythingandishouldhavecheckedwithsorawhenhedidntcometoschooland…" (translation: I knew about Ansem and Sephiroth and I still didn't do anything, and I should have checked with Sora when he didn't come to school, and…)

Adam clapped a hand over the babbling teenager's mouth. "Okay, just try to explain with the fewest words possible!" he told the struggling boy, and released him.

Riku tried to take a few deep breaths, but was unable to fully calm down. He shook his head, indicating he really couldn't say anything without losing his nerve again.

"Okay, if you can't talk about it, don't try." Adam told him.

Riku shook his head again, his platinum tresses falling from behind his ears and playing loosely along the features of his face. He quietly admitted, "Sora told me about how Ansem and Sephiroth had been picking on him… but they threatened him not to tell anyone else… I didn't say anything because… I didn't want him to get hurt because of me. They.. usually don't really hurt kids. Or, word just never gets out about it, I guess. I thought it would just work out on it's own…" He lowered his head, trying to hide his tears.

Adam didn't really know what to say, so he didn't say anything. He was a _medical _doctor, for heaven's sake! Not a psychiatrist! He silently guided the subdued teenager past Mr. Hart to the very front of the door that led into the actual hospital room.

The doctor told him quietly, warning him before he entered the room, "Just by talking with you, I can tell you have deep feelings for this boy. Right now, he… is unable to…speak with you…" Adam struggled to explain.

Riku turned on him, his eyes once again dry of tears. He had pushed his hair back again, once more shielding himself in his icy shell. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice bordering on dangerous.

Adam cleared his throat. "I probably should've mentioned this earlier…but your friend…when the older boys beat him, uh…" The doctor sighed. "I'm sorry, there's just no way to put this lightly…Ansem and Sephiroth hurt him so badly…He's in a coma." He finished quickly.

Riku wasn't sure he caught that (or at least that's what he told himself…). "What?"

"Oh, don't make me say it again!" Adam rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "Sora is in a coma…"

**Okay, I have to end it here. Sorry!**

**I really need more comments or I'll have to stop writing! Sorry!**


	5. Jun

**Falling Short of Cloud Nine Part V**

**Last Time: **

**Riku wasn't sure he caught that (or at least that's what he told himself…). "What?"**

"**Oh, don't make me say it again!" Adam rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "Sora is in a coma…" **

**Wow, never written 5 chapters before…**

**S14: **I guess I really am mean to Sora, hm?

**Sora: **Hey, my sequel's kinda out, so I need to be done with this soon!

**Riku: **_Your _sequel? What are you talking about?

**Sora: **Well, not really _my _sequel…but I am the main character and all…

**Riku: **What about me and Roxas? We have Keyblades too! What makes you so special?

**Roxas: **Hey, what are you guys yelling about _now_!

**Sora: **Well, I can understand Roxas's argument! At least he made it onto the poster, unlike some people… cough Riku cough

**Riku: **You know what, you little-!

**S14: **Let's stop it there before this gets profane… rolls eyes

Riku stared at the doctor, finally unable to deny reality. "So… Is that what Namine meant by…"

Adam simply nodded before he could finish. "But it gets much worse…. His condition is deteriorating rapidly… We don't think he'll wake up again…"

Riku's eyes grew wide. Sora, never waking up, _ever_? His Sora, lying listless in a hospital bed, for the rest of his life? That couldn't be… Even after Kairi's death, Sora had remained his bouncy self, though a bit more prone to crying-spells. Riku remembered briefly the last time Sora had been sick, which was about two years ago, when Kairi was still alive.

_"Now be nice, Riku. You know Sora doesn't feel good…" the 13-year old Kairi told her 14-year old companion._

_"Why would I _not _be nice? I'm always nice to Sora." Riku gave her an innocent grin. _

_Kairi rolled her eyes. "Just don't say anything thick, like last time." _

_"What on Earth do you mean?" Riku continued to grin at her deceitfully._

_"'_So, how long do you have to live?' _Does that ring a bell? Poor Sora was only 5 and you nearly made him faint!_" _Kairi reminded him._

_Riku rubbed his chin in mock thought. "Ah, yes. It's all coming back to me now…"_

_Kairi punched him playfully in the arm as they walked up the steps to the Hart residence._

_She rang the doorbell and Mrs. Hart came to the door to let them in._

_"Oh, it's you two! Well, Sora's in his room. Heaven knows it will do him good to have some company. The doctor said the virus wasn't infectious, so I wouldn't worry about that…"_

_A small brunette girl of about five came up behind Mrs. Hart. Riku bent down to her level. "Well, hello there Jun!" he grinned widely at Sora's little sister._

_Jun squealed and hid behind her mother's long skirt._

_"Oh, you scared her, Riku!" Kairi rapped him lightly on the head, chiding him for startling the little girl._

_"Ow!" he whined, rubbing the offended spot and standing up again._

_Mrs. Hart smiled as her youngest went bolting up the stairs and into her room, which was next door to Sora's. They heard a slam as she tried to hide from 'the scary silver-haired boy'._

_"Sora's tried to tell her a thousand times that you're his friends, but she still doesn't like strangers all too much." Mrs. Hart explained._

_"Who could blame her?" Kairi shrugged. Riku nodded in agreement. "Well, how's Sora doing, anyway?"_

_"He'll be fine. He doesn't get sick often, but when he does, he really gets _sick_. His fever broke yesterday, and he should be back to school sometime soon."_

_"Much to his own disappointment, I'm sure…" Riku muttered, elbowing Kairi jokingly._

_"You know that's not true!" Kairi retaliated. "He hates being cooped up inside!"_

_Mrs. Hart nodded. "Yeah, he's asked a couple of times when he can go back outside again, but every time he tries to go down the stairs at all, he ends up almost falling down the entire flight. Then he ends up pouting in his room again. Not a very happy cycle…"  
_

_"Okay, we'll see if we can go cheer him up a bit!" Kairi smiled, a little overzealously. _

_As they began to climb the stairs, Riku rolled his eyes. "Yay, I get to be stuck with Grumpy and Dopey all afternoon…"_

_" I heard that." Kairi informed him crisply. Riku winced slightly. _

_As they approached the room, they heard someone talking. It was a girl's voice. They opened Sora's bedroom door to find Jun talking to her brother, trying in vain to cheer him up. He was sitting up in his bed, a forced smile on his face. He didn't want his sister to know she was failing in her attempts to make him happy._

_"Oh, hey guys." Sora acknowledged them tiredly. He gestured to his friends. "See, Jun? They're my friends. They don't want to hurt anybody or anything, see?" he tried._

_Jun just shook her head. She glared icily at the two in the doorway and carefully made her way past them to leave the room._

_"Oh, uh, sorry about that…" Kairi tried to apologize. "We thought she had gone into her bedroom…"_

_"No problem. She'll get used to you guys eventually." Sora shrugged slightly. "So, what have I missed while isolated in this little prison?" he asked bitterly._

_"Oh, come on it can't be _that _bad…" Riku told him, sitting on the desk chair, while Kairi took a seat on the end of the bed._

_Sora shrugged again. "I'd rather be outside, doing _something_…"_

_Kairi smiled at him. "You haven't missed much. Tidus and Selphie broke up, but we all saw that coming. The principal hasn't had much to do with you gone. Riku's too scared to try to pull anything on his own…"_

_"I am not!" Riku snapped. "It's just no fun without Sora, that's all! Nothing that stupid principle can say that can scare me…" he grumbled, nursing his hurt pride._

_Sora laughed weakly. "Riku, calm down. He's not here, so you're safe until Monday."_

_Riku gave him a sheepish grin, which made all of them laugh._

_"Ha, I knew we could make him laugh!" Kairi said triumphantly. _

_"Yeah, now all we gotta do is stay here 24/7 until he gets better!" Riku joked. "Just call us your own personal circus, Sora!"_

_Sora raised an eyebrow. "Well, I definitely know who the clown is…"_

**_"_**_Oh, haha, very funny…" Riku snapped. Kairi almost fell off the bed laughing._

_"Hey, what are you guys doing up there?" Mrs. Hart's voice shouted from downstairs. "I hear laughing, is that a good thing?"_

_"Everything's fine, mom!" Sora called back down. He returned his attention to his friends._

_He was right, everything _was _fine…_

"Jun!" Riku suddenly blurted.

"What?" Adam asked a bit stunned by the sudden outburst.

"Where's Sora's sister? She's 7 and she's got brown hair, like Sora, but it's longer. Her name's Jun. Do you know if she's here?"

"A little brown haired girl? Yeah, she came in a little while after the Hart's came in. She was at a friend's house, she told me. But, um, you may not want to confront her… She kind of… how you say, 'freaked out' when she saw him…" Adam tried to explain.

"But, is she okay, or did she completely lose it?"

"She ran from the room, and into the corner, I think… I haven't seen her." Adam shrugged.

"Which corner?"

Adam pointed to the left of the room. "Over there, I think… But I don't…"

The rest of his words fell on deaf ears. Riku walked quickly to the spot the now frustrated doctor had indicated. As predicted, a little, mousy-brown haired girl was pressed into the corner, her knees curled up into her chest. She sniffled into her knees, her tears all dried out. It was such a sad sight. No seven-year-old should have their only brother ripped from them…

"Jun?" Riku asked gently. He didn't want to startle her. She had eventually warmed up to Kairi, and was devastated when she had died. Kairi had been the older sister she had never had. The 7 year old never really liked Riku, but at least she didn't run away every time she saw him now. When he didn't get a response, he asked again, a little louder, "Jun?"

She gasped and looked up, her eyes red from crying. Riku had never really looked at her eyes before; they weren't the same, never-ending blue like Sora's. They were actually almost on the brown side, a dark hazel-green. "Wh-what?" she stammered. "I don't want you, I want Sora back!" she shook her head violently, and began to cry into her knees again.

"I know. I want him back, too. You saw him, right?" Riku persisted.

Jun shook her head again. "No!" she shouted, her voice hoarse from crying. "No, that's not my brother! That's someone else's brother, that's not Sora! Sora would wake up when I said his name, he would wake up and tell me everything was okay, like when I have nightmares… This is just a nightmare! I don't care what mum and dad say! And that stupid doctor! They say _that's_ Sora, but it's not! I know it!" She sobbed, her throat throbbing from shouting so much.

Riku bent down next to her and opened his arms, silently telling her somebody cared. She couldn't refuse him; he was Sora's friend, right? She hoped he believed her… No one else did. She clung to Riku's shirt and sobbed into his chest. "I just want my brother back…" she said quietly.

Riku felt tears stinging in the corners of his own eyes. "I know… I want him back too…" he told her softly.

They ignored the confused eyes that stared at them, crying and hugging together.

Jun looked up at him, her innocent hazel eyes sparkling with tears. "Why does everyone keep leaving?" she asked. "Kairi left, and she never came back… And now Sora's gone… and they don't think he's gonna ever come back…"

Riku hugged her again, and she hugged back. "It's okay." He told her calmly. "I'm glad you're not afraid of me anymore…"

She gently wiped her tears away. "You're nice, just like Sora said. I should've known… He never lies to me." She giggled lightly. "Can I tell you a secret?"

He smiled at her. "Go ahead."

She giggled again. "One time, me and Sora were playing ball in the house, and momma always told us not to do that, but Sora was babysitting me, and he didn't mind. I accidentally threw the ball too hard, and it hit momma's favorite vase! You know what Sora did? He got some super glue and helped me put it back together again! Momma never even knew! But, then he forgot to put the glue away, and we made a big mess while fixing it. But, he told momma that we had done arts and crafts, and that's why there was glue everywhere. She made us clean the glue up, but that was the only time I think I ever saw Sora lie. He never ever lies, does he?"

Riku's smile widened. "No, he never does, because he's a good kid, right? And you're gonna be a good kid, like him, right?"

Jun gave him a wide grin. "Yeah. I wanna be just like my brother!"

**And that's all I've written because I've been playing KH2 _WAY_ too much…. teehee**

**This flashback was just to introduce jun, and I'm still not sure I'll make her a big character ot not, but this is almost over anyway!**


End file.
